'Sur' of Himachal Pradesh

Intl. J. Food . Ferment. Technol. 5(1), 75-82, June, 2015 © 2015 New Delhi Publishers. All rights reserved DOI Number: 10.5958/2277-9396.2015.00011.2

RESEARCH PAPER

Technology of Preparation and Consumption Pattern of Traditional Alcoholic Beverage 'Sur' of Himachal Pradesh V.K. Joshi, Ashwani Kumar and N.S. Thakur Department of Food Science and Technology, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan, HP-173230, India. Corresponding author: [email protected]

Paper No. 84

Received: 21 September 2014

Accepted: 12 June 2015

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Abstract A survey of 'Sur' production in Himachal Pradesh (India) was conducted and reported. Sur is a traditional alcoholic beverage produced in many parts of Himachal using finger millet (Eleucine corcana) as a basic raw material. A crisp review of the survey revealed that the Sur is known by various local names in the different regions. Knowledge regarding preparation and consumption pattern of Sur was collected by carrying out a survey in Kullu, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur districts of Himachal Pradesh. The fermentation is carried out mostly in the earthen pots and these were sterilized by the smoke produced by burning jaggery and 'dhaeli' inside the pots and retaining the smoke for some time. Its fermentation is carried out by using a traditional inoculum "dhaeli" which is a mixture of roasted barley with several herbs with natural micro-flora. It is made from barley, weighed from 250 gm to 1 Kg, yellow in color and need 1-2 to months for preparation. The fermentation is generally carried out in the traditional earthen wares which takes about 7-8 days in summers and 12-15 days in winters to complete. The method of preparation though varied in different districts surveyed. Based on the information collected, a general flow sheet for the process was developed and reported here. The product also has social and religious significance. It is offered to the local deities and is served in the social gatherings like marriages, funerals and other religious ceremonies. As it makes use of the several herbs it is also supposed to have medicinal properties. It is usually consumed in the un-distilled form. The beverage is regarded as a tonic by the elders and is most popular among them. However, a decreased trend of sur consumption was found among the youngsters as they had shifted to other commercially available beverages in the market. Keywords: Sur, dhaeli, gur, earthen wares, herbs, roti

Fermented foods have been an integral part of the human diet in many cultures for many centuries (Joshi and Pandey, 1999, Amerine et al., 1980, Joshi et al., 2012) including India. In Himachal Pradesh a state of India, the traditional fermented foods and beverages form important constituents of staple diet of the people especially those belonging to the tribal belts of Lahul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Chamba and rural area of Kullu, Shimla, Mandi and Kangra districts (Thakur et al., 2004) where preparation of customary alcoholic beverages and their consumption are permitted at home (Joshi and

Sandhu, 2000). Such beverages are produced and consumed, and have cultural as well as religious value. Besides contribution to the pleasurable sensations a variety of traditional alcoholic beverages produced in Himachal includes daru, sur, chhang, lugri, chakti, angoori, chulli, aara, chiang etc. (Thakur et al., 2004, Kanwar et al., 2011, Joshi et al., 2012, Joshi and Sandhu, 2000) and these vary in their quality from region-toregion depending upon the type of raw material, inocula used, type of container, fermentation duration as well as the composition of chemical constituents and micro-flora

Joshi, et al.




in the final product (Bassapa, 2002). Among these, 'sur ' has a religious significance and constitutes an integral part in various rituals like marriages, funerals and other get-togethers of the people in the Barot, Chuwar, Lag and Chota Bhangal regions of districts Mandi, Kullu and Kangra (Thakur et al., 2004). The Sur is produced by the traditional methods and is mainly restricted to the households with no sale outlet for this product.

villages included in the survey were Badi Neri, Tandari, Shalang, Garamag and Telang of Kullu; Luharati, Jadhar, Handli-Malana, Chenna, Banwar of Kangra; Joginder Nagar, Khasla, Kharan, Hurang of Mandi and the Shamra, Sangrah, Bharadi and Lanapalar of Sirmaur. Respondents were personally interviewed and the information included the dhaeli production, traditional fermentation process of sur; raw materials, equipments, adjuncts and additives used; socio-cultural importance and consumption pattern by active interaction. They were also asked about the method of production of dhaeli and sur as well as the inoculum used. How after inoculation the fermentation was conducted and finally, the product was made. Information regarding the requirements of fermentation was also obtained and compiled. The type of herbs and their local names were also obtained. The information about the raw material used in the 'sur' production was obtained. Later on by referring to the literature their corresponding scientific names were determined and tabulated. Based on the information a general flow sheet of the process was developed. The data was classified district-wise and compiled. The data on the consumption pattern obtained by questionnaire was similarly compiled.

The raw material i.e. finger millet (Eleucine corcana) locally known as koda/kodra/mandal, is used for Sur production. It has been cultivated by the folks of Himachal and constitutes their staple diet. As in the sur production, the millet flour is fermented directly so it is considered to have most of the nutritional characteristics of millets. Not only this, the addition of traditional starter "dhaeli" increases its medicinal and therapeutic value as 36 - 360 local herbs are used in the preparation of 'dhaeli'. So by keeping in view its nutritional and medicinal value it is regarded as a tonic by the folks and is consumed mainly by elders of both sex groups though the consumption is more in the males than females. In the present study a survey of production method of dhaeli, preparation process of sur, consumption pattern and its religious and ethical importance in various sur producing regions of Himachal Pradesh was made and discussed in this paper.

Results and Discussion Results of the survey revealed information regarding the raw materials, production process of dhaeli (inocula) and Sur and the consumption pattern. The related information collected is further compiled, processed and explained in this section under different sub-headings in the subsequent section here.

Materials and Methods To conduct the survey a pre-tested, non- disguised questionnaire was prepared. Majority of the questions were kept open-ended to gather maximum information from the selected respondents. Questions were framed to elicit information regarding the cultural importance, production process and consumption pattern of sur. The survey was conducted in Kullu, Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur districts as these were identified as the major sur producing areas of Himachal Pradesh (India). The

During the survey it was revealed that sur has been named differently in different regions of Himachal Pradesh. It is known as sura in Kangra and as dhrubali in the Chuwar region of the district Mandi (Table 1). Similarly, the adjuncts used varied from place-to-place

Table 1: List of materials used in the preparation of sur in different districts District

Local name

Raw material

Kangra

Sur/Sura

Finger Millet (Kodra/Koda)

Kullu

Sur

Finger Millet (Kodra/Koda)

Mandi

Dhrubali/ Sur

Finger Millet (Kodra/Koda/ Mandal)

        

Sirmaur

Sur

Finger Millet (Koda)



Adjuncts-optional (Local Name) Maize (Makki) Buckwheat (kathu) Wheat (kanak) Rice (Dhan) Maize (Makki) Rice (Dhan) Maize (Makki) Buckwheat (kathu) Wheat (kanak) Wheat (kanak)

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Inoculum

Additives-optional (Local Name)

Dhaeli

Jaggery (Gur)

Dhaeli

Jaggery (Gur)

Dhaeli

Jaggery (Gur)

Roat

Jaggery (Gur)

Technology of Preparation and Consumption Pattern of Traditional Alcoholic Beverage 'Sur' of Himachal Pradesh according to the local cereals grown. However, the raw material mainly used had been recorded as finger millet and it had been also known as koda/kodra/mandal in different regions. The inoculum used in the sur production is commonly called as dhaeli, but was found to be known as roat in district Sirmaur. The local names of the product, raw materials, adjuncts, inoculums and additives used in the sur preparation are shown in Table 1. The additive found to be used mostly was jaggery (gur).

Marona/Bharona Bhang Kandyari Van Kav Pol Shakor Indra mori Kahan Bampol Kali Chhpali Narhoon Raoon Gruun Shath Fashyangu

The information gathered from the survey revealed that the sur production essentially has two main requirements:

District: Kullu

1. Inoculum 2. Raw material

Gudla Dadana Ghoman Nimani




Inoculum The information gathered revealed that most important requirement for the sur production was the inoculum i.e. source of micro-flora viz. (yeasts and bacteria) which carry out the fermentation along with the natural herbs which provide the medicinal value to this beverage. The inoculum was called as dhaeli or 'roat' in Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. It was found that the inoculum was mainly prepared during the month of August and September when the natural plants and herbs were available in plenty. According to the local people of Chuwar valley, about 360 herbs were added to the barley flour to prepare the dhaeli. However, they were not able to dictate the names of all the herbs and plants used for its preparation. The details of some herbs with their local and scientific names are given in Table 2.

Bhang

Chakaryata Dakari/Dukari Kathurla Gutlu Lal dori Pili dori Brahmi Karu Gudla

Swertia chirayata Selinum tenuifolium Not known Silene grifithii Polygonum allatum Polygonum sp. Centella asiatica Picrorhiza kurrooa Varbascum thapsus

It was revealed in the survey that after the collection of herbs, these were cut/ground into small pieces and mixed into barley flour. The preparation of dhaeli was usually a village ceremony and was made collectively for the entire village. Further, the dhaeli was normally prepared during the August and September months of every year, because in the mid of rainy season when the vegetation growth used to be at its peak , especially some could be found at that time only. The collection of herbs was performed on a village scale as revealed by the information collected. The village priest along with other experienced elders of the village who used to have a good knowledge of herbs and forest, usually collect the herbs.

Scientific Name

District: Mandi Guddal Dori Thadana Reechh Ka Kodra Kauve Ki Chhali Bandar Ka Alu Kadkharu Reechh Ka Kodra Kauve Ki Chhali Neelkanthi Vanfsa Chimu

Varbascum thapsus Not known Not known Bupleurum lanceolatum/ Valeriana jatamansi Cannabis sativa District: Kangra

Table 2: List of herbs which are used in the preparation of dhaeli Local Name of Herb

Cuscuta europiana Cannabis Sativa Solanum pseudocapsium Not known Not known Not known Not known Not known Not known Not known Not known Not known

Varbascum thapsus Bistorta amplexicaule Viburnum grandifolia Impatience recemosa/sulcata Arisaema sp Arisaema tortuosum Ajuga brevifolia Impatience recemosa/sulcata Arisaema sp Ajuga bractiosa Viola canescens Morus seratta

The mixing of flour and herbs was done bare footed by jumping over the mixture. According to the people of Chuwar, the kneading or mixing of dhaeli mixture was done by 5-6 people by holding their hands together making a structure of the Makadi (spider). During this 77

Joshi, et al. for this practice. The samples of the dhaeli procured from different regions has been shown in Plate 1.

ceremony, the local songs were also sung. After mixing well the flour with herbs it is was left for some time for proper moisture distribution. Then beem of dhaeli made and were dried by keeping in between the leaves of bhang (Cannabis sativa) for 30-45 days. The general process of dhaeli making by villagers has been also given in Fig. 1.




Plate 1: Pictorial view of the dhaeli samples collected from various regions, (a) Kullu (b) Mandi (c) and (d) Kangra

Raw Material for ‘Sur ’ In all the sur producing areas, finger millet (Eleucine coracana); locally known as koda/kodra/mandal was used as the basic raw material for the sur production. However, other locally grown cereals such as buckwheat (Kathu), maize (makki), rice (dhan) and sometimes barley locally known as jou have also been used along with finger millet. The survey also revealed that the people of all the valleys surveyed i.e. Lag, Barot, and Chuwar are native to each other and their culture is much similar to each other. Thus, no particular difference due to region could be observed although a great difference in the quality of the product produced in the same region was recorded (Kumar, 2013). No hard and fast rules however were applied by the rural folks for the sur production and the process was also almost the same. The main difference was found in the use of adjuncts, their ratio according to other locally grown crops.

Fig. 1: Flow sheet for manufacture of dhaeli as per the information gathered from local people Samples of dhaeli were collected from different sources and the results are presented in Table 3. It can be seen from the results that the shape of dhaeli varied from place-to-place. While in Kangra, Mandi and Sirmaur it was rectangular, in Kullu it was circular. The weight of the dhaeli also varied from region-to-region ranging from 250 gms to one kg. The colour of dhaeli in all the regions remained yellow while storage period of all the samples have been reported to varied from 1-2 years. Interestingly, the survey revealed storage practice of dhaeli for about 30-45 days before use, depending upon the region, though no reason was explained by the people surveyed

Manufacturing Process The survey of the sur production process showed some typical requirements as detailed in Table 4. Clearly, in all the areas surveyed fine milled flour was used for

Table 3: Composition and physical characteristics of the inoculum (Dhaeli) used District Kangra Kullu Mandi Sirmaur

Raw Material Used Barley (JOU) Barley (JOU) Barley (JOU) Barley (JOU)

Shape

Weight (approx)

Rectangular Circular Rectangular Rectangular

1K.g. 250- 300 gm 800-1000 gm 500-1000 gm

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Colour (visual) Yellowish Yellowish Yellowish Yellowish

Storage of inoculum before use About 2 Months 30- 45 Days 30- 45 Days 30- 45 Days

Total storage life of inoculum (approx) 1 Year 1-2 Year 1 Year 1 Year

Technology of Preparation and Consumption Pattern of Traditional Alcoholic Beverage 'Sur' of Himachal Pradesh

sur making. The percentage of inocula used varied from

until it was covered with the visual growth of natural micro-flora. The flour was then, baked into roties on a baking pan (Tava) and small holes were made on the roties. These were then allowed, to cool, broken into small pieces, finally filled into earthen pots and soaked with water. Filled pots were left for 10-12 hours undisturbed for water absorption followed by uniform mixing. Jaggery was added in the form of syrup. Finally, the mixture was inoculated with 2-5% dhaeli, mixed, sealed airtight and left for fermentation. During winters ambient temperature for fermentation was maintained by covering the pots in different ways. Slight variations were however observed district-wise in the manufacture process of sur which are discussed in Table 4.




2-5% depending upon the region. The village folks had devised their own method of temperature control which again varied from place-to-place but most frequently used method remained by covering the fermenting pot with the woolen clothes. The fermentation period also varied with the regions or as per the method used for the maintenance of heat, ranging from a minimum of 5 days to 10-12 days. Similarly, the most frequently used material for carrying out fermentation was earthen pot followed by plastic or HDPE containers. The earthen ware containers used for fermentation are depicted in Plate 2.

Addition of jaggery was found to be an optional step. Also district wise and individual variations were found in its time of addition and quantity used. Fermentation was allowed to initiate at room temperature in the summer days while in the winter days the temperature of the fermenting pot was maintained by various ways, as discussed earlier. When the hissing sound of bubbles ceases to come out from the fermenting vessel the fermentation was considered complete. The completion of fermentation take place in about 8-10 days in summer and 12-15 days in winter.

Plate 2: The earthen-wares and the methods used to maintain the temperature by local folks to carry out the fermentation

The lid of the vessel was removed and the fine liquid was then, separated by filtration with a muslin cloth from the remaining residue. Level of ethanol in the final product also varied from place-to-place (Kumar, 2013). The filtered sur was then, stored for 6-12 months in a traditionally designed vessel for its future use. The traditional container used for the storage of sur is depicted in Plate-2.

The survey also revealed that the earthen wares were partially sterilized by the local method, wherein a layer of the jaggery was applied to the inside of pot followed by putting burning coals to the pot and then, some powdered dhaeli was burnt along with the coals. The smoke so produced had been allowed to retain inside the pot for some time so as to cause the sterilization of the pot. This was followed by emptying and cooling of the pot. In the next step, the grains were milled to fine flour followed by its mixing with water and knead as revealed by survey. The kneaded flour/dough was allowed to ferment at room temperature for 8-10 days or

Consumption pattern of sur The consumption pattern of sur in different regions is summarised in Table 5. The information collected from the sur producers and consumers showed that the shelf-

Table 4: Requirements to carry out the fermentation for sur production District

Form of raw material used

Addition of inoculum (%)

Methods of maintenance of temperature

Fermentation period (days)

Utensils used

Kangra

Fine milled flour

4-5

 By keeping pot in kitchen

8-10

Earthen pots / plastic HDPE jars

Kullu

Fine milled flour

2-3

10-12

Earthen pots

Mandi

Fine milled flour

3-5

10-12

Earthen pots

Sirmaur

Fine milled flour

3-5

5-6

Earthen pots / plastic HDPE jars

 By covering with woolen clothes  By covering with woolen clothes  By covering with woolen clothes  By covering pot with cow dung

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Joshi, et al.




life of their product varied from 6-12 months and understandably, their consumption was more in the winters except where it was not mentioned. The entire products prepared were undistilled and there was no specific outlet for its sale, evidently being a home consumption product. However, it was found to be served in the social gatherings like marriages, funerals and other religious ceremonies. It was also served as a welcome drink for guests on the local occasions and ceremonies. The beverage contains several herbs and was regarded as a tonic by the old people, and is mostly popular among those people. However, a decreased trend of sur consumption was found among the youngsters as they had been shifted to the beverages available in the market.

microorganisms that can ferment the food.

The survey also revealed that the product had a religious significance as it was offered to the local gods during worship in almost all the districts. In Kullu, it was offered to local gods like Panachali Narayan, Fungni Mata and had a special significance in the Lohri festival. In the Chuwar of Mandi, it was offered to Hurang Narayan. However, no such ritual was found in the district Sirmaur. In the regions, where survey was conducted, sur production and consumption has been an integral part of the routine chores of the inhibitants. Such other beverages are also used in various ceremonies all over the world (Joshi et al., 2012). During the survey it was revealed that the finger millet is used as the basic raw material for the Sur production which is in accordance with the reported earlier on Sur (Thakur et al., 2004, Kanwar et al., 2011, Basappa, 2002). The survey also revealed that the sur is also known as sura in different parts and as Dhrubali in Chuwar region of district Mandi. It was also observed that the finger millet is known by various local names like Kodra/Koda/ Mandal and dhaeli was used as the inoculum to carry out the fermentation of Sur similar to be reported for the preparation of similar products prepared in other parts of the world. The use of dhaeli as inoculum in the Sur production also indicates the traditional knowledge of the inhibitants with respect to the sources of

Fig. 2: Generalized process for sur production as per the information gathered from various regions

Table 5: Consumption pattern of Sur in different districts District Kangra

Shelf life of product Consumption pattern (months) 8-10 September – January/Marriage occasions/other religious ceremonies

Sale outlet Nil

Consumption way Un-distilled

Kullu

10-12

September – March/Marriage occasions/other religious ceremonies

Nil

Un-distilled

Mandi Sirmaur

10-12 5-6

September – March/Marriage occasions/other religious ceremonies Not specified

Nil Nil

Un-distilled Un-distilled

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Technology of Preparation and Consumption Pattern of Traditional Alcoholic Beverage 'Sur' of Himachal Pradesh of sur was dhaeli and was added at the rate of 2-5% in all regions surveyed. The fermentation was carried out at room temperature for 8-10 days in summer or 12-15 days in winter. Sur is consumed in undistilled form in all the regions believed to have therapeutic values, have religious value and is offered to the local gods, welcome the guests in the marriage ceremonies and local gettogethers. It is mostly prepared for home consumption and not sold outside.

Similar findings on the production of traditional alcoholic beverages have been documented world over (Steinkraus, 1996). Most of these beverages are consumed by people in the undistilled form so can be considered as material contributing to the diet of people (Joshi et al., 2012) and ultimately to the nutrition of the consumer. Another technological advancement is the use of herbs in dhaeli preparation which might be responsible for the preservative effect as imparting the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties to the products, as has been observed in production of apple wine (Joshi and John, 2002). Though the method of preparation is certainly crude, the people including woman consume these beverages, still the safety issue has never come up, shows an indirect effect of ethanol with herbs extract imparting the beverage the medicinal properties. Ethanol itself has antimicrobial effect and antioxidant properties (Stockley, 2011). Further, the use of local material is an appropriate technology, need to be advocated, being most suitable approach for sustainable development and growth of people. It was also revealed that the Sur production involved the grinding of millets to flour followed by kneading to flour which was allowed to ferment at room temperature for 7-8 days. It was then, baked to roties and cut into pieces and cooled and was added to earthen pot with sufficient amount of water, jaggery syrup was added in some regions to raise the sugar content and finally, the dhaeli in the ground form was added. Which was fermented (10 days) at room temperature to finally produce Sur. Clearly, the indigenous people have developed a suitable method for saccharification (conversion of starch into sugar) using natural microflora. It is particularly of significance as these people did not have any background of microbiology or biochemistry. At the same variations in the physicochemical characteristic and abnormality in the microflora call for improvement by the intervention of science as has been advocated in case of similar beverages produced and consumed in Kinnaur districts of Himachal Pradesh earlier (Joshi and Sandhu, 2000).

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Conclusion The basic steps involved in the sur production were the same in all the four districts surveyed; though variations in the type of adjuncts used as was the case of addition of the additives (like jaggery), percentage of inoculum used and methods of maintenance of heat of the fermenting mostly in earthen pot as was clearly evident. The inoculum used to carry out the fermentation

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